Device for biphasic dispensing of a single dose

ABSTRACT

The invention includes a device for dispensing in atomized powder form a single dose of a fluid product. A fluid product container contains a single dose and is connected to an atomizing orifice. At least one gas container is connected to the orifice. A means is provided for simultaneously emptying the fluid product container and the gas container so as to cause a biphasic atomization of the fluid product with the gas at the atomizing orifice.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for the biphasic dispensing,in spray form, of a single dose of fluid product. More particularly, theinvention relates to a miniature spray device, preferably disposable,which is particularly suitable for samples in the field of pharmacy orperfumery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIORART

The problems that arise for such a product dispenser involve, inparticular, the need for inexpensive manufacturing processes. In effect,since samples are not generally intended for sale, the manufacturingcost must be as low as possible. It is therefore important to havedevices whose parts are easy to produce in large series and the mountingof which can be done simply. Furthermore, since the samples are usedmainly for advertising purposes, it is desirable to be able to visiblyaffix the brand, the logo, or any other distinctive sign correspondingto the product contained in the dispenser. Likewise, it is desirable toprovide a device in a form that is original and practical for use. Forexample, in the case of samples to be included in magazines or journals,it is necessary for the dispenser to have a greatly reduced thickness.

The dispensing device according to the invention can also be applied inthe pharmaceutical field. In this particular field, it is important forthe dose of product contained in the dispenser to be completelyexpelled. Furthermore, it is also important for the spray to be of goodquality.

For example, known through French Patent No. A-2,443,980 is a disposablesprayer produced by the fusion of a sheet of plastic material, placingbetween it a container as well as two channels of vortex connected to aspray opening. By pressure on the container whose walls are produced bysheets of plastic, product is discharged into the vortex channels, thenthrough the spray opening, creating a stream of sprayed product. Thisdisposable sprayer does not, however, make it possible to expel adefined dose of product. Moreover, the production of vortex channels bythe fusion of two sheets of plastic is rather imprecise and random.According to a version of this sprayer, the container is divided intotwo chambers by a partition that is broken under the action of thepressure. One chamber is filled with a fluid while the other containsthe product and air. Furthermore, the container is separated from thespray opening by a point of rupture. In a first step, when one presseson the container, the partition breaks, and the two fluids are tovarying degrees mixed together with air. In any case, the mixture thusobtained cannot be homogeneous. By increasing the pressure, the point ofrupture breaks and the nonhomogeneous mixture is discharged towards thespray opening. The stream leaving the opening is sometimes composed ofthe first fluid, sometimes of the second fluid, and sometimes of air,but is never composed of a homogeneous mixture of the three. It resultsthat the stream is sometimes purely aqueous and sometimes biphasic. Itsquality is therefore not constant.

The problem that the present invention proposes to solve is theproduction of an inexpensive dispensing device that provides a goodquality of spray of a single dose of product in a constant and precisevolume. In certain applications, particularly advertising applications,the dispensing device must meet certain dimensional requirements; inparticular, it must have a reduced thickness.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These problems are solved, according to the present invention, by adevice for dispensing, in spray form, of a single dose of fluid product,characterized by the fact that it includes:

a container of fluid product containing the single dose and connected toa spray opening,

at least one container of gas connected to the spray opening, and

some means of simultaneously emptying the containers of fluid productand of gas, in such a way as to create a biphasic spray of fluid productand gas at the site of the spray opening.

The use of a spray gas mixed with the product at the site of the sprayopening guarantees a good quality of spray of the single dose of productthat is expelled. The use of a spray gas makes it possible to avoid theneed of the force of pressure that has to be applied in the case of asimple pump equipped with a nozzle with a vortex chamber. Less pressureis sufficient to provide a sprayed stream of good quality.

Advantageously, the containers have deformable flexible wall elementsthat make it possible to empty the containers by pressing on said wallelements. Just as in the aforementioned Belgian document, the pressurethat makes the spraying possible is directly exerted on the container.One can thus work without a connected component such as a piston.However, the means of emptying include a component for pressing on thedeformable flexible wall elements of the containers. The pressingcomponent in effect makes it possible to completely empty the containerof product, which ensures a precise quantity of expelled product.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the containers are arrangedin such a way that the emptying of said container of gas, of which thereis at least one, begins before the emptying of said container of fluidproduct. In a corresponding manner, the containers are arranged in sucha way that the emptying of said gas container, of which there is atleast one, is completed after the emptying of said fluid productcontainer.

According to a practical embodiment, the pressing component presses onthe flexible wall elements of said gas container, of which there is atleast one, before pressing on the flexible wall element of said fluidproduct container. It is thus guaranteed that the entire volume of thedose is emitted with an optimal spray quality, that is to say with thesimultaneous emission of gas under pressure.

According to another practical embodiment, the containers have outletchannels connecting them to the spray opening, with the pressingcomponent being formed by an essentially rigid rounded tab articulatedwith respect to the containers in such a way as to progressively presson the wall elements of the containers, beginning with their endsfarthest from the outlet channels. Progressive and simultaneous emptyingof the containers of fluid and of gas is thus produced.

In order to guarantee a minimal thickness, that is to say less than 5mm, preferably less than 3 mm, the containers are formed between anessentially rigid support and a flexible barrier film forming thedeformable flexible wall elements. The support can be produced frompolypropylene, polyethylene, or a mixture of these; the barrier film canbe produced by a superposition of layers of polyester, aluminum,polyamide, and polyethylene.

Furthermore, the tab is formed by an operating part of the support,which is shaped in a rounded manner and connected by a hinge to anothermain part of the support bearing the containers. Moreover, the outletchannels and the spray opening are formed between the support and thebarrier film. Advantageously, the barrier film is fused to or glued onthe support.

According to another characteristic, a retention and dispersion fiber isplaced before the spray opening. The fiber is placed both between theoutlet channels and the spray opening and between the support and thebarrier film.

According to another practical characteristic, the spray opening isclosed by a cap component, which can be removed. By producing orincorporating all of the components of the dispensing device between asupport and a barrier film glued or fused together, it is possible toproduce the device at a very low cost. The fiber placed just before thespray opening makes possible a good dispersion of the droplets ofproduct soaked in the fiber and passed through by the flow ofpressurized air coming from the gas containers.

Other characteristics and particularities of the invention will emergefrom the following detailed description giving an embodiment of thepresent invention as a nonlimiting example in reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plane view of a single-dose biphasic dispensing deviceaccording to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section through the dispensing device of FIG.1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The single-dose biphasic dispensing device of FIGS. 1 and 2 isrepresented on an enlarged scale: in reality, the dispensing device isinscribed in a rectangle of approximately 6 cm by 3 cm. As for itsthickness, it does not exceed 5 mm and will preferably be less than 3 mmwhen the device is intended to be included in a magazine as anadvertising sample.

In reference now more particularly to the figures, one sees that thedispensing device according to this preferred embodiment of theinvention essentially has three constitutive elements, namelyessentially rigid support 10, flexible barrier film 11, and plug offiber 17 whose function will be explained hereafter.

Essentially rigid support 10 can be made of any material in sheet formproviding a certain rigidity. Preferably, support 10 is made frompolyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture of these.

As for flexible barrier film 11, it can be produced from any material inflexible sheet form, which can be deformed by simple pressure, forexample, by means of a finger. Preferably, film 11 is produced by asuperposition of layers of polyester, aluminum, polyamide, andpolyethylene in order to thus form a barrier complex.

According to the invention, barrier film 11 is fused or heat-glued onessentially rigid support 10 over a major part of the surface of thesupport. In certain determined spots, barrier film 11 is not fused onsupport 10, and a certain volume is then formed between the film and thesupport. These non-heat-glued zones are formed on main part 1 of support10, which includes three parts in all, namely the above-mentioned mainpart 1, operating part 2 connected to main part 1 by hinge 21, and headpart 3 connected to main part 1 by tear line 31. Film 11 can beheat-glued on the three parts 1, 2, and 3 of support 10, but at theleast film 11 extends over main part 1 and head part 3 of support 10.Operating part 2 then only consists of support 10. Hinge 21, whichconnects operating part 2 to main part 1 of support 10, can be producedin the form of a line or several lines of lesser thickness, whichpromotes the folding of part 2 with respect to part 1. As can be seen inFIG. 2, operating part 2 has a rounded profile in cross section, whoseconvexity is oriented on the same side as film 11 for reasons to begiven later.

The determined zones of main part 1 of support 10 on which barrier film11 is not heat-glued define several containers 12, 13, 12, severalchannels 14, 15, 16, housing 18 intended to receive plug of fiber 17,and spray opening 19. Before use, that is to say in its storage andtransport state, spray opening 19 is closed by head part 3 thatfunctions as a cap component that can be removed. Spray opening 19 is inreality closed by the fact that barrier film 11 is heat-fused on support10 in head part 3. Just upstream from spray opening 19 is the housingfor receiving plug of fiber 17. The two lateral containers 12 areconnected by respective outlet channels 14 to shared channel 16, whichopens into housing 18 for receiving plug of fiber 17. Central container13 is itself also connected by outlet channel 15 to shared channel 16connected to receiving housing 18. Thus, the three containers areconnected to the spray opening via a channel network 14, 15, 16 andreceiving housing 18 that receives plug of fiber 17. In the case inwhich the device is a sample of perfume, for example, fiber 17 must beas flat as possible. On the other hand, when the device is a nasalsprayer, for example, in the field of pharmacy, fiber 17 and its housing18 can also have a cylindrical cross section in order to form a nasalend piece. According to the invention, the two lateral containers 12, 12are gas containers, preferably filled with air. As for central container13, it is filled with fluid product corresponding to the single dosethat is to be dispensed. Simultaneous pressure on the three containers12, 13, 12 has the effect of expelling the respective fluid (fluidproduct, gas) through the respective ducts 14, 15, 14, then throughshared channel 16 into receiving housing 18 for receiving plug of fiber17. The mixture of fluid product and gas that has already formed inshared channel 16 is completely dispersed and divided through plug offiber 17. The stream of fluid product coming out of the spray openingthus has a very good spray quality, on the one hand because of themixture of the fluid product with a gas resulting in a biphasic mixture,and on the other hand because of the presence of plug of fiber 17 actingas a disperser in order to divide the fluid product into very finedroplets that are propelled by the gas.

The pressure exerted on containers 12, 13, 12 can be brought about bymeans of one or more fingers, but preferably, as represented in FIGS. 1and 2, the dispensing device is provided with a pressing component ortab in the form of operating part 2. Due to this pressing component 2,simultaneous pressure on the containers as well as complete emptying areensured. This pressure and emptying result can be obtained due to therounded shape of pressing component 2, as defined in the preceding.Because of this rounded shape, pressing component 2, once folded overmain part 1, begins to press on the deformable flexible walls producedby flexible barrier film 11 starting from their end farthest from outletchannels 14, 15, 14. The rounded shape of pressing component 2 ensuresprogressive flattening of the containers so that it is not possible forfluid to remain in the containers. Simultaneous progressive emptying ofthe entire contents of the containers is thus ensured.

According to an additional advantageous characteristic, gas containers12, 12 extend further towards hinge 21 than fluid product container 13,so that pressing component 2, once folded, begins first to press on gascontainers 12 before pressing on fluid product container 13. Theemptying of gas containers 12, 12 thus begins before the emptying offluid product container 13. In this way, it is ensured that gas isexpelled through channels 14 and channel 16, then through plug of fiber17 before fluid product is expelled. A perfect biphasic spray quality offluid product is thus guaranteed by preventing fluid product from beingexpelled in a manner other than in the form of a mixture with the gas.

Symmetrically, gas containers 12 extend further away from hinge 21 thanfluid product container 13. This means that gas will continue to beexpelled after fluid product container 13 is empty. Due to thischaracteristic, a perfect biphasic spray quality is ensured again bypreventing fluid product from being expelled without mixing beforehandwith gas. In other words, the biphasic spraying of the fluid product ispreceded and followed by the expulsion of pressurized gas.

Because of the small number of constitutive elements of the dispensingdevice according to the invention, it can be produced at low cost withrelatively simple manufacturing techniques. Moreover, because of itssmall thickness, preferably less than 3 mm, it can be easily packagedand stacked with no risk. It should be understood that the number of gasand fluid product containers of the execution example that has just beendescribed is completely arbitrary and can vary without consequentlyleaving the scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A device for dispensing, in spray form, a single dose offluid product, wherein the device includes: a container of fluid productcontaining the single dose and connected to a spray opening, at leastone container of gas connected to said spray opening, and means forsimultaneously emptying said containers of fluid product and of gas, insuch a way as to create a biphasic spray of fluid product and gas at thesite of the spray opening, said fluid product container and said atleast one gas container having deformable flexible wall elements thatmake it possible to empty the containers by pressing on said wallelements to reduce the volume of said containers.
 2. A dispensing deviceaccording to claim 1, in which means of emptying (11, 2) include apressing component (2) for a pressing on the deformable flexible wallelements (11) of said fluid product container and said at least one gascontainer.
 3. A dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, in whichsaid fluid product container and said at least one gas container arearranged in such a way that the emptying of said at least one containerof gas (12), begins before the emptying of said container of fluidproduct (13).
 4. A dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, in whichsaid fluid product container and said at least one gas container arearranged in such a way that the emptying of said at least one gascontainer (12) is completed after the emptying of said fluid productcontainer (13).
 5. A dispensing device according to claim 2, in whichsaid pressing component (2) presses on said flexible wall elements (11)of said at least one gas container (12) before pressing on said flexiblewall element (11) of said fluid product container (13).
 6. A dispensingdevice according to claim 2, in which said fluid product container andsaid at least one gas container have outlet channels (14, 15, 16)connecting them to the spray opening, with the pressing component beingformed by essentially rigid rounded tab (2) articulated with respect tosaid fluid product container and said at least one gas container in sucha way as to press progressively on said wall elements (11) of the saidfluid product container and said at least one gas container beginningwith their ends farthest from the outlet channels.
 7. A dispensingdevice according to claim 6, in which said tab (2) is formed by anoperating part of a support (10), which is shaped in a rounded mannerand is connected by a hinge (21) to a main part (1) of the support (10)which bears containers said fluid product container and said at leastone gas container.
 8. A dispensing device according to claim 6, in whicha fiber (17) is placed both between the outlet channels and the sprayopening and between a support (10) and a barrier film (11).
 9. Adispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said fluid productcontainer and said at least one gas container are formed between anessentially rigid support (10) and a flexible barrier film (11) formingthe deformable flexible wall elements.
 10. A dispensing device accordingto claim 9, in which the outlet channels (14, 15, 16) and the sprayopening are formed between the support (10) and the barrier film (11).11. A dispensing device according to claim 9, in which the barrier film(11) is fused to or glued on the support (10).
 12. A dispensing deviceaccording to claim 9, in which the support (10) is produced frompolypropylene, polyethylene, or a mixture thereof.
 13. A dispensingdevice according to claim 9, in which the barrier film (11) is producedby a superposition of layers of polyester, aluminum, polyamide, andpolyethylene.
 14. A dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, inwhich a retention and dispersion fiber (17) is placed before said sprayopening (19).
 15. A dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, inwhich said spray opening (19) is closed by cap component (3), which canbe removed.
 16. A dispensing device according to claim 15, in which thecap component, which can be removed, is formed by a head part (3) of asupport (10), which is covered with a barrier film (11) and connected tomain part (1) by a tear line (31).
 17. A dispensing device according toclaim 1 or 2, in which the thickness of said dispensing device is lessthan 3 mm to 5 mm.
 18. A device for dispensing, in spray form, of asingle dose of fluid product, wherein the device includes: a containerof fluid product containing the single dose and connected to a sprayopening, and at least one container of gas connected to said sprayopening, each said container having a deformable flexible wall elementthat makes it possible to empty the containers by pressing on said wallelement; and a pressing component for pressing on each said containerdeformable flexible wall element for simultaneously emptying saidcontainers of fluid product and of gas at the site of the spray openingand wherein said pressing component begins to press on said gascontainer flexible wall element prior to pressing on said fluid productcontainer flexible wall element.
 19. A device for dispensing, in sprayform, of a single dose of fluid product, wherein the device includes: acontainer of fluid product containing the single dose and connected to aspray opening, and at least one container of gas connected to said sprayopening, each said container having a deformable flexible wall elementthat makes it possible to empty the containers by pressing on said wallelement, each said container having outlet channels connecting them tothe spray opening; and a pressing component for pressing on each saidcontainer deformable flexible wall element for simultaneously emptyingsaid containers of fluid product and of gas in such a way as to create abiphasic spray of fluid product and gas at the site of the sprayopening, said pressing component being formed by an essentially rigidrounded tab articulated with respect to said containers in such a way asto press progressively on said deformable, flexible, wall elements ofthe containers, beginning with their ends farthest from the outletchannels.
 20. A device for dispensing, in spray form, a single does offluid product, wherein the device includes: a container of fluid productcontaining the single dose and connected to a spray opening, and atleast one container of gas connected to said spray opening, saidcontainers being formed between an essentially rigid support and aflexible barrier film forming deformable, flexible, wall elements; and atab formed by an operating part of said rigid support and shaped in arounded manner, said tab being connected by a hinge to another, mainpart of said rigid support for pressing against said containers forsimultaneously emptying said containers of fluid product and of gas insuch a way as to create a biphasic spray of fluid product and gas at thesite of the spray opening.
 21. A device for dispensing, in spray form,of a single does of fluid product, wherein the device includes: acontainer of fluid product containing the single dose and connected to aspray opening; at least one container of gas connected to said sprayopening; means for simultaneously emptying said containers of fluidproduct and of gas in such a way as to create a biphasic spray of fluidproduct and gas at the site of the spray opening; and a retention anddispersion fiber located upstream of said spray opening.